Disabled Passenger's Bus Driver Had Criminal History

A new detail related to the disabled man who, instead of being taken home from his day program, was abandoned on a freezing bus for 17 hours by the bus matron. The bus's driver has, the Post reports, "a shocking rap sheet of 28 arrests, including an assault on a Bronx cop." Walter Gibbs has been charged with "forgery, grand larceny, theft of service and drug crimes on his record," and most recently, "grand larceny and harassment," this past summer. According to Outstanding Transport's website, its drivers are "are 19A Motor Vehicle Qualified. This means that they are randomly drug tested, fingerprinted, background checked and with no criminal background." But when the Post headed to the home of Charles Curcio, head of Outstanding Transport, Curcio "slammed the door." A police source told the Daily News, "He has no business driving a school bus or being anywhere near any kids, no matter what age."

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By Jen Chung in News on January 4, 2009 5:59 PM

Comments [rss]

Tower18

It's definitely the matron's fault, but at the end of the day, you gotta think "what was the driver doing?"

Did the driver just say "eh, ain't my job" and walk off the bus too?

robingee

Isn't it the church-going bus matron's fault?

SnackRabbit

The sad thing is that the police were notified in the afternoon by the family, and could not locate him. I think bus crew and police were already half-lit.

FROM MSNBC: Rivera's parents were worried when he didn't arrive back at their East Harlem home from his day program (in Tribeca) on Wednesday afternoon. They called the police, which searched the depot with K-9 and aviation units but didn't find him.

zodak

he didn't molest children or the handicapped. he's a bus driver. he did his job & drove the bus.

she was a bus matron, this is why she was hired. her only job was to prevent this from happening & she didn't. she's the one to blame.

berniegoetz

That's 27 second chances for a schmuck who clearly never deserved 1. If the victim in this case weren't severely disabled, I'm sure the bleeding hearts brigade would be out in force demanding that we cut this loser even more slack.

drewmaster

SHOCKER... I never knew ex-felons were working as outstanding private company and Access-A-Ride bus drivers...

CR

My only hope is that the head's keep rolling on this one.

whitecastlerock

Use Access a Ride next time...

NannyState

These shocking failures often have a deep taproot and this is a perfect example. A handicapped man is stranded on a cold bus so the matron could "Go to church" (crack pipe-optional services?) and now we learn that the driver is Mr. Rap Sheet and the company is totally sketchy.(Mob controlled?) Keep digging on this one.